Audience research - Alex Smith (Images) Laura Bebber & Sabrina Bell (Research)

Our stereotypical audience profile

Age: 16-25

Gender: Female

Social status: Comes from a working class back round, aims to achieve highly through education and better own situation.

Ethnic back round: Mainly white, british, but may appeal to other ethnic groups.

Education: A full time student at college/university.

Subjects likely to be taking: Psychology, media, sociology, art. A mixture of academic and creative subjects.

Occupation: Part time work in a retail store.

General interests: Being with friends, concerts, being with the boyfriend, engaging in many media products such as face book and twitter, reading books centred around romance/thrillers. Likes to be different and not follow a crowd.

Musical taste: Non mainstream, quirky style of rock/acoustic based music.

Movies likely to have seen: This is England, Fish Tank, Submarine, Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging, Harry Potter franchise.

Relationship status: In a steady relationship, likely to take her boyfriend/partner along with her to see the movie.

Reasons for consumption: To explore certain ideas that they haven't experienced before, and to form on screen relationships with characters. They consume media in a light hearted way, for entertainment purposes and to be sociable, and up to date with media.

By using a variety of elements from many diverse images of a character whom we assume to be the audience for our film , we have created the perfect demographic.

Director Research - By Laura Bebber

Shane Meadows, an English director, screenwriter and BAFTA winner was born on the 26th December 1972. Nearing the beginning of his successful career, Shane was merely making short movies with his friends in which were not showcased to the public at all. After a lot of hard work and effort, they began a film festival in his local cinema in which was very popular within the city. This was a great opportunity for the hopeful director and he was then was enrolled onto a Performing Arts course where he first met his future collaborator Paddy Considine. The vast majority of Meadow's films have been set in the midlands area and reflect upon 'kitchen sink' realism.

His feature films include:
This is England
Twenty four seven
Dead man's shoes
Somers town
Once upon a time in the Midlands
A room for Romeo Brass

Facts:
Meadows is widely regarded as a big fan of football with several references included in his films by way of imagery and background shots.

His shortest film, The stairwell, was shot on a mobile phone and is just 40 seconds long!

Television success:
This Is England '86 (2010) (four 60 minute episodes with Meadows directing episodes three and four)
This Is England '88 (2011) (three 60 minute episodes)

Research into the director of 'Fish Tank' - Sabrina Bell

Name: Andrea Arnold
Birth date:5 April 1961, Dartford, Kent, England, UK

 Andrea grew up as the eldest of four children, and lived in a council house it Dartford. Simarly, the movie Fish Tank is based around a british council estate. She later went on to study the American film institute Conservatory in Los Angeles and graduated in 1991.
After graduating, her first job involved becoming a dancer on shows such as Top Of The Pops, and later became a television presenter. After retiring from presenting, she studied film directing in Los Angeles. Her early short films include Milk(1998) and dog(2001)
She directed Fish Tank in 2009, and was awarded a jury prize. The film also went on to win the BAFTA award for outstanding British film.

Research Into An Iconic Director - Alex Smith

Richard Ayoade on Prezi

Frame by frame analysis of Fish Tank opening (Sabrina Bell)

This shot of the title 'Fish Tank' is the first image the audience views, as it plays a significant part to the opening. The words are layed out in a square, angular way, which could connot the harshness that the film explores. The typography is written in plain white capital letters, and with a plain black backround. The darkness on screen may represent the un-pleasant, 'dark' storylines that the audience will experience as the movie progresses.

The second shot introduces the main character, Mia. The position she is in represents stress and suffering. This will get the audience familiar with the themes and feelings that Mia experiences throughout the movie. She is in an abandoned flat, where she practices her dancing in secret, but the audience is unaware of this at this point. It could be percieved that she herself is in a 'tank', and dying to break away.

In this shot, Mia is looking out upon her neighbourhood- which is an east London council estate. This could represent how she is longing to grow up, and how nieve she is in respect to the world around her. This fits in with the coming of age genre that we are looking at, as it is centred around the discovery and journey of a teenager.

This shot shows Mia walking out onto her councel estate, and witnessing some 'chavy' girls practicing a dance routine. She confronts them, and then head-buts one of the girls in the nose. This reinforces the brutatlity of teenagers that live in certain areas. This also allows the audience to become familiar with Mia's personality, as she is portrayed as foul-mouthed and violent.

Frame By Frame Opening Analysis (Alex Smith)

Frame by Frame Analysis - Dark Knight

Analysis of the opening of 'The Lovely Bones' By Laura Bebber

~ "The Lovely Bones is the story of a teenage girl who, after being raped and murdered, watches from her personal Heaven as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she comes to terms with her own death."

The first clip displays the production company in a clear and direct format. The black and white colouring reinforces simplicity and a precise, straight to the point introductory to the film

This is a mid shot of a snow globe in which is featured throughout the entire opening. The penguin is trapped within a glass dome reinforcing a sense of isolation and completely foreshadowing many later events within the film. The solemn music in the background instantly sets the tone and creates an emotional atmosphere. This draws the viewer in furthermore and allows them to connect with the situation. The fade from black also provides a smooth transition from one clip to the next and reinforces the sense of passion and misery.

The third clip shows the central protagonist as a child innocently playing with toys. This shot allows the viewer to empathise with the character and view aspects of her life from when she was younger. The music continues to develop emotion and captivate the audience’s affection towards the character.

This clip displays a typical home environment in which provides a very realistic atmosphere. A voice over of the main character reflecting her life as a child then begins. Her voice is soft and innocent developing further empathy and sorrow towards her. 

This is a close up shot showing the child staring into the snow globe. The intensity in her eyes show how passionate she is about this object and that she puts a lot of thought into it.

This close up shot of the penguin allows us to view the snow globe from the child’s perspective. The story in which the character is portraying in the voice over captivates the true purpose of this. “I remember the penguin who lived inside the globe. He was all alone in there and I worried for him.”

This clip shows the child’s father attempting to comfort her: “Don’t worry kiddo, he has a nice life…he’s trapped in a perfect world.” The child begins to express emotion in which inevitably makes the audience feel for her. The words are very clever as they are a representation of what happens later in the film. The main character herself, becomes “trapped inside a perfect world” in which is a clear parallel from the beginning.

                                                                                

The typography of the title in which appears in this shot is plain yet meaningful. I feel that this was a clever choice as white represents the absence of colour. Colour can instantly reinforce many emotions and without it, the mind is left to think for itself. Usually, white can be seen to connote purity, peace and innocence in which is extremely effective upon the audience. The overall simplicity of the font symbolises the innocent imagination of the child.

                                                                                    

The History of Our 'British/Coming of Age' Genre - Sabrina Bell & Alex Smith

British Golden Age

The British film industry had a golden age in the 1940s, led by the studios of j.Arther.Rank and Alexander korda. Many British actors such as: Kate Winslet,Julie walters and Sean Connery have achieved highly in the film industry.

There is often a debate on whether a film can be classed as being 'British', or not. Many films that include British actors, and British settings are often distributed by American Producers I.e The Harry Potter, and James Bond franchise. 

The British New Age

British films are often refered to as 'kitchen sink realism'. This extended from british films portraying a sense of realism, and gritty lives of working class citizens. This genre of film was introduces in the 1950's and early 1960's. Normally, kitchen sink films are based in working class suburbs of england, such as council estates. This genre became popular with other forms of media also such as plays, novels and art. Television soap operas such as Eastenders and Coronation street became very popular in portraying the raw lives of everyday people living in english towns. The term 'kitchen sink' became apparent after an expressionist artist John Bratby painted a picture of a kitchen sink. This sparked influence from other artists, that wanted to portray the banality of life through artistic means.

Coming of Age Films

The term coming of age refers to films that involve normally(but not necessarily) a male lead, that embarks on a life changing journey. They are usually a teenager that becomes more wise and mature towards the end, after going through self discovery, and learning about the world. Here are a few we've researched:

STAND BY ME (1986)

This film was released in 1986, and is about four boys that embark on a physical and emotional journey of discovery. Even though we are going to make a British based film, i believe that Stand By Me is an inspirational coming of age film that has been held as inspiration for other films.

FISH TANK (2009)

This film follows a working class teenage girl. It is a British film, set in the east london council estates. it relates to the British 'kitchen sink' genre because it is a raw,gritty story line that explores sad themes and ideas.

ANGUS THONGS AND PERFECT SNOGGING(2008)

This is another film that is under the 'coming of age' genre. This film explores a teenage girls discovery of herself, and demonstrates a typical girls life. Romance is very much a big part of this genre, and the protagonist female embarks on a quest to get the boy she likes.

'This Is England' Title Sequence Timeline - Sabrina Bell & Laura Bebber

Title sequence analysis - Laura Bebber

This is England title sequence

1. This shot introduces the scenery and portrays a typical British council flat, whilst reinforcing the genre of a gritty, coming of age drama. According to the director, the typography was created to symbolise a British soldiers dog tag.
2. This mid shot of three male characters represents the age group that the film is based around. The graffiti shown behind them on the wall could connote typical teenage rebellion. The quality of the focus is weak, perhaps to create a mysterious atmosphere and build the audience's curiosity. The typography is white, which is seen as a typical British colour, and could be in reference to the Union Jack. Again, this reinforces the British culture. The small digits on the screen are said to be representative of the number of soldiers that have died. (referenced www.artofthetitle.com/?s=this+is+england)
3. This shot displays various individuals in a party environment. The green lighting effect reinforces excitement and the incorporation of a live rock band is a stereotypically British trait. The characters show enthusiasm and portray lively animalistic personalities. The snapshot displays scenery and emphasises the importance of youth culture.
4. This close up shot of a couple kissing reinforces a strong sense of passion and romance in which is a typical convention of a coming of age drama. It provides us with the knowledge that relationships will be a key aspect of the film and that various emotions will be explored. The fact that they used a close up shot to convey this image could perhaps suggest that these particular characters may have significance throughout the entirety of the film.
5. This shot displays three men holding the British flag. The fact that it is at a low-angle could reinforce their power and status. The Union Jack emphasises the British culture in which the audience will explore. We are blind to their appearence and so are left to draw our own conclusions as to who they could be. The companionship in which they are portraying could show that we will be focusing on the development of relationships and various emotions.
6. This close up shot of a child watching television establishes the era of the film. The scene is particularly old-fashioned and proves that historical aspects will arise.
7. It is unclear of what is happening in this shot and so a sense of mystery is inflicted upon the audience. The muddy environment emphasises the realism of characters and setting used throughout the film. Youth culture is once again imported as it appears as if perhaps the characters are at a typical British festival.
8. This shot displays numerous army soldiers in a deserted environment. This could reinforce the fact that the audience will be visoning a captivating storyline and focusing upon emotional conflict.

Overall I feel that this particular title sequence is extremely effective as it foreshadows later events and grips the audience's attention. It appears as if each individual aspect has a significant purpose and tells an interesting story. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this sequence, I feel that it flowed well and that the titles were cleverly incorporated on top of the images. Despite being extremely long in length, I never lost focus of what events were occurring.

Synopsis Research and Analysis - Sabrina Bell , Laura Bebber, Alex Smith

Examples of synopses that are of the same genre hybrid to that of our Media Product.


Definition - Synopsis - A brief outline or general view, as of a subject or written work; an abstract or a summary.


"Fish Tank" synopsis

A mother and daughter find themselves locked in an ugly battle over the same man in this drama from writer and director Andrea Arnold. Mia Williams (Katie Jarvis) is 15 years old and lives in a shabby apartment block with her mother, Joanne (Kierston Wareing), and younger sister, Tyler (Rebecca Griffiths). Mia is a reckless and rebellious teenager who frequently argues with her mother and sister and has run afoul of the authorities at school, leading to her being suspended. With plenty of time on her hands, Mia spends her days drinking when she can find alcohol and partying in a empty flat near her apartment. Joanne is a single mother, and she's begun dating a new man, Connor (Michael Fassbender); when Joanne brings him home to meet the girls, Mia is immediately attracted to him, and it's soon clear Connor feels the same way about her. Mia attempts to seduce Connor to take him away from her mother, and when she succeeds, Joanne's greatest anger is not with the man who has slept with her underaged daughter, but the girl who is now a rival for the affections of her lover. Fish Tank was an official selection at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming.


This synopsis to the film 'Fish tank" uses an array of language that is associated with a British, coming of age drama. It reflects the gritty life-style of a teenage girl, that is living in a working class town. Words such as: Ugly, rebellious, teenager, affection and lover create a sense of the genre, and would help an on-looker understand what type of film they will be viewing.


"Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging"

Georgia Nicolson (Georgia Groome) is fourteen, lives with nosey parents who don‘t understand her, an annoying three year old sister and has to wear a beret to school. She would, however, rather be blonde, have a smaller nose and a boyfriend. Revolving around her hilarious journal entries, prepare to be engulfed in the world of the soaring joys and bottomless angst of being a teenager. This hilarious coming of age story is a very British take on American high school movies like "Clueless" and "Mean Girls". Based on the international best selling series of books by Louise Rennison. Troubled by her ancient parents and buoyed by her cat Angus and her friends "The Ace Gang" Georgia struggles through life in search of her main desires, to get a goregous sex god as a boyfriend and to throw the biggest and best 15th birthday party ever. When handsome brothers Tom and Robbie arrive at school she thinks that her boyfriend dreams have been answered but things are never as simple as they seem.


This synopsis is obviously written to entice the younger audience, but is blatantly written by an adult trying to be 'one of the kids'. During this synopsis the film's genre is clearly classified by relating the storyline to that of other successful and popular 'coming of age' films. Stereotypical teenage ideals for young girls (the target audience) such as 'struggles through life // to get a gorgeous sex god as a boyfriend' instantly makes the film more relatable and appealing.

Genre Hybrid Iconography Collage - Alex Smith

The Key Conventions Of Our Genre - Sabrina Bell & Laura Bebber

Conventions of our chosen genre: Laura Bebber

Our film will contain the key aspects associated with a typical British Romance. However it will also entwine elements of dramatic Coming Of Age films.

Some of the key conventions are:

- Focusing on the physical and emotional growth of the central protagonist from youth to adulthood.

- Exploration of relationships and friendships.

- Showing clear connections between the characters and how their personal home lives have affected them.

- Aspects of rebellious behaviour, alienation and conflict with others.

- Passion and affectionate involvement.

- Captivating story lines in which reflect upon an audience.

- Exploring the many changes that occur in life such as: Innocence to experience, Ignorance to intelligence, Immaturity to maturity and Idealism to realism.

- Elements of drama and fast pace sequences to create tension.

- Soft, compelling music to set the tone.

- Snapshots of scenery and the environment.

- Emphasising isolation and independence within the youth culture.

- Gaining strength by overcoming fears and obstacles.

- Focusing on the development of romantic relationships between two characters.

- Exploration of emotions and providing escapism for the audience.

- Portraying realistic characters, setting and relatable life situations.